The tadpole of the Australopapuan frog Litoria nigrofrenata (Gunther, 1867) (Anura: Hylidae)

2 Pages·1993·0.96 MB·English

by  Michael R Crossland

VhinwKVwiwofthe RoyalSodHfof& Aw. (093). 117(2), 109 110.
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
THE TADPOLE OF THE AUSTRALOPAPUAN FROG LITORIA MGROFRESATA
(GONTHEK, 1867) <ANlJRAt HYLIlJAE)
The terrestrial liyltd frog Utoria nigrojretutta occurs in Table 1 shows the size distribution ofL mjtntfrenataat
seasonally dry forest and woodland habitats on Cape York stages25-39. Atadpoleatgtagc39isillustratedinPig. I and
Peninsula, the Tones. Srralt Islands, arid in southern New has the followingdimensions (mm): 43.0total length. 19.80
Guinea1 Little ib known aboutitsbiology, und thetadpole body length, 11.72 maximum body width, 11.34 maximum
ishithertoundewrribed. Wepresentobservation*onbreeding body depth, 4.41 basal tail muscle height, 3,53 basal tail
activity of adult frogs and describe the tadpole, from musclewidth, 4.54maximumdorsal Finheightlocated8-57
Hcalldund»ReservebetweenWeipaandBaniagaonCapeYork frombodyterminus, 3.91 maximumventral finheightlocated
Peninsula fU*45'S, i42°35,E). 630frombodyterminus, 133tailmuscleheightatmaximum
Reproductive activity was observed during February and dorsalfinheight,4,03tailmuscleheightatmaximumventral
April 1992, whenmale*called fromthebanksoftemporary Gnheight,4.91 distancebetweenjoiningofventralanddorsal
craailnl-ifnlgllsuiltews,ataenrdboaldliecsa.llNeodnweitwheirne5obmseorfvetdhetowuasleere\leevdagtee.d oFifnoaustpeerctesyetosbuordfayc,es1,0.84.619boidnyierwoirdbitthalatdiesyteasn.ce1.0.10890wtdetylei
Ovipostiion occurred in Avecattle watering lank* between diameter, 1,01 pupil diameter, 0.38 nariol diameter, 3il5
December 1991 and February 1992,andtadpoles werealso intertiariaJ distance, 2.39snout-nana, 5.80 snout-eye, llf)9
observedinalarge(14.4 X9j6 x 5 m)buttemporary dam snout-spirnclc. 5.17 transverse oral disc diameter*
lifaneimdAapl4re4i5l~e1g49g69sl20inmAaamsianSmgVpl)eleccvloiulalmneptct2pe-ad5iraetg(gtmsh;aeldeedeapr=in3oR8enJp0r1o4n.duiujnc.t1,i9Sv9V3e, 2p.osTtThehereioorrmarloiudmtishocfoitsfheaaolttaacbdripouovmleenilsartsatisrtoa(ngagellmy3o9sftoilsdvieeldnltu.rsTatlhr)ae,temdaanringdiFnitaghl.e
activity was not observed during -September and papillae arc in two rows anterolaierally arid 2-3 rows
November/Deoember 1991 whentemporary waterbodieswere posteriorlywithanarrowgapanteriorly. Submarginalpapillae
dry. Despite intensive searches, noL mgrofrewtto tadpoles occur in a largepatch laterally on the posterior halfol the
werecollected frompermanentcreeks (Cockatoo, Gunshot,
Cholmondeley, and Bertie Creeks) or from two permanent Table 1, Body length (nun) and Gosner (i960) Mage of
swampsduringthestudy, suggestingthatthisspecie*bteeds Ltloria tu'grofrenita tadpoles.
prrdoro'mantiy in temporary water bodies. Stage N Mean body length i SD
inTAapdrpilol1e9*92w.erTeadcpoollleecsteidnf=ro2m88t)hewedraemcaolnldecwtaetderwiintghtaandkt.p1; 2256 a253 169..7840±±12..5994
snettavgedm2easSuormeed i(nbdoivdiyduallesngtwhe)rewiitmhmevdeirantieerlycpalriepseerrsv,edanidn 222897 23i J11987...096070±±02..9127
i1d0en%tiffiocramtailoinn..POrtehseerrsvedwerspeeclieamreendstwoermeetarmetourrpnheodsitso tfhoer 3310 4« 1199..016+2±1,U167
laboratory and standard measurements3 were made using 32 2 I9.|5±0.64
verniercalipers(totallengthandbody length)andadissecting 35 i 20.40
microscope with an optical micrometer (all other 37 I 20.90
measurements). Measurementsinvolvingaperturesweretaken 38 5 20.86i<M)tf
from the centre oftheaperture. 39 I 19 80
P%. I, lateral view uf u Liioria nigrefnenam tadpole M stage 39. Scale Kir - 5 mm
110
andbodyaremostconspicuousinsmall(stage25)tadpoles,
becoming indistinct in larger animals. The tail fins have u
reddishcolorationmottledwithpatchesofdarkpigment. The
coppercolorationoftheventralsurface,thepalestripesand
the reddishtinge ofthe tail Tins disappear in preservative,
butthepatchesofirregular,darkpigmentondietailtinsare
re
r^ptw&wwmvvvwwst retained.
mm
Themaximumbody lengthattainedis21.15 (Stage38).
TheSVlengthofarecentlymetamorphosedindividual(stage
46} was 16.85mm, and the postocular stnpe characteristic
ofthis species was clearly visible.
It has been suggested4^ that Utoria nigrvfrenata, U
personataand L wtjulumensisaremore closely telsted trc
eachotherthantootherAustralianfrogs. Similaritiesbetween
thetadpoles ofUtoria wotjuhtmensis*1\ and L nigrvfrenata
Fig3.9.2.ScOarlaelbdairsc=of1amLmU.oria nigrvfrenata tadpole atstage stuapdppoolretstshahtarperowpiotsheLdcwloostejurleulamteinosnisshiap.toUottohriraownifgorromfurleatuoMf
2(2)/3,andarched,heavilymottledtailfins. L wotjulumensts
labium.Thepapillaeontheanterolateralmarginsarcsmaller tadpolesapparentlylackthepatchesofsubmarginalpapillae
otslksruheohpotarceewenaaactrttfiitehormnhdroiieossmswniebuendrlahootrajaeahnasdeiwssltmayha2sanen(hlct2elupea)aeorrd/trsivd3htoeitsertdahrinaaio(grdnonmaeraeptltdnhm,hiaoaieasnrrlpeArgo(sio2oihenwnrec,lgttayaimhanopeandndrdiiegassnvieltnernvmherlaeoeraolrstppryteaoepdspwnad.tip.arlirTatllTriohlaghooaeehwetet..hi)ut,npOorTaptonohhneteweehdr noonfsniiifpinnggegsmrrcrt,vavivhffraeferrgsrneeieldnnnndoaaadaotwtilteaaesa)srtpa.iansnnlppdTcoiaethltLbclge.iiaoseuewltus,moadptdpggjasproatunoorprkldutisweppie.haioesan.fnvcstTeLlihohessaepePienIwlrrahhsearialovntvaandietlanitPgmvoae2ona5nsrthtcpdeiooihrpomfo6tfpwlhel(iroersctgtoohyefwpsrbpot,ooehfrmreltdhocLIiiwtns
thelowersheathisbroadlyV-shaped.Theeyesarelargeand
locateddorsolateral^. Trienaresaredorsal,-orientedslightly MRC thanks the McCleod iainily and the Lyon family
flnterolaterally, and open almost vertically. (Queensland NationalParks and Wildlife Service) fortheir
arcThheed,boadnyd itseromvialnaatnedinraathenrarsrloenwdetri.p TorheJlfaignesllaurmc.hiTghhe, ahonsdpiLt.aliStcyhwaanrdzaksospifstfaonrcefideuldriansgsifsitealndcew.oJrukliaetMHaerattihnladnrdes,w
jmustral spiracle is located ventrolaierally and oriented thetadpoleandoral disc, andR. Alfordcommented on the
postcrodorsally.Thelateralwallislongerthanthemedialwall manuscript. HeldworkwasfundedbyaCSIROgranttoR. A.
andis unpigmentedontheposteriortwo-thirds. Theorifice AJford.
islarge, andis clearly visibleindorsal view, The venttube
is short, dextral, attachedtothe ventral tail fin, and opens 1C(oRgegeedr,BoHo.kGs,P(t1y99L2t)d"RSeypdtnieleys).andAmphibiansofAustralia"
tt1h.ee3Irnmrtiilanpiamfoetfetfshrtehjoeudmsosttrnhposeouustmttaetiirlhsi-rdoboraourdtgkyohbtjtrhuhoenewcettnyoi.eop.Ano.Tnchereetavhiemrmdsrtaorlfipteshurerufneaysceefrahonamds 2J*JG6iU«3yi.t]iefir1e,e-r4MB,7..KJ.A..&L.11D9\a71v09i)6e0Hs)e*rHMpe.ertpo(e1lt9oo7gl8io)cgAaiuc2sa6t,.16),1.8Z01o-8o32l-0.179S0u.ppi Set.
a copper pigmentation which extends one-third ofdie way 5Tyier, M. A,Davies, M. & Martin. A. A. (1978)Trans.
euxpttehnedltartaenraslvearsspeelcytforfotmhethbeodlyat.erPaolstseurrifoarcleys,otnhrteoetphaeldeosrtsriupme,s *TRyleSro,c.M.S.JA.,usCtr.oo10k2,.G1.51A-1.57&. Davits,M. <1983) Rec. S
but do notconnect dorsally. Thepale stripeson the toffy A«.tt. Mus. 18, 415 4tt
MICHAELR. CROSSLAND and STEPHEN I RICHARDS, Zoology Department, James Cook University,
Townsville Qld 4811.